Handguns are in widespread use, both by law enforcement agencies and by people who carry guns for their own protection. Inadvertent discharge of such handguns frequently occurs through mishandling of the gun in a casual manner by someone who is unaware that the gun is in firing condition (chamber loaded), or during loading and unloading of the gun. Devices have been designed to lock the trigger of a gun against inadvertent actuation. Such devices include safety locks built into the guns, as well as slide buttons in the rear of the trigger guard. Some devices employ locks with keys; and others are cumbersome and interfere with the holstering of a gun.
A trigger safety device designed particularly for blocking the trigger operation of a police revolver is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,239 to Sperling. This device is a mechanical trigger block in the form of a plug made of resilient material, which is wedged behind the trigger between it and the trigger guard. The material is a medium-soft rubber or plastic material. When the plug is in place, it is compressed; so that it remains firmly in position. When the gun is to be used, it is necessary for the user to firmly push the plug out from behind the trigger to remove it so that the gun can be used. The resilient nature of the plug and the fact that it must be compressed to hold it in place causes removal of the plug, in an emergency situation, to be subject to potential failure. In addition, to ensure full complete removal of the plug, the index finger of the user must be pressed into the space behind the trigger. Modern firearms, in many cases, do not have a large enough space behind the trigger to fit a finger. A trigger block of this type also may be used to prevent accidental firing of the gun when it is either being loaded or unloaded. Because of the nature of the block, however, it is possible to accidentally move the trigger in such a manner to cause an inadvertent or accidental discharge of the gun.
Another safety lock, placed behind the trigger of a handgun between the trigger and the trigger guard, is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,641 to Adajian. This patent presents some of the same problems as the device of the Sperling patent discussed above. In addition, the Adajian safety lock is complex and requires multiple parts and springs for its operation. The trigger lock of Adajian requires that the tip of the nail of the trigger finger engage an exposed front face of a spring-loaded catch to move it backward to allow the lock to drop free away from the handgun. Once again, the insertion and removal of this device from behind the trigger still subjects the user of the handgun to the possibility of an accidental discharge during loading or unloading of the handgun, since it is necessary to manipulate the device behind the trigger of the handgun in order to effect the blocking and release.
A more recent and more effective trigger lock safety device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,760 to Langner. This trigger safety lock comprises a rigid plug designed to frictionally fit into the space between the rear of the trigger of the gun and the trigger guard. The plug prevents depression of the trigger to fire the gun. Loading and unloading of the gun ideally is effected with the trigger block in place. If the trigger block accidentally should be removed during this process, or if the user should inadvertently move the trigger prior to the insertion of the trigger block, it is possible to accidentally misfire the gun prior to the installation of the trigger block, or after its removal, during the loading or unloading process.
Three other patents which are directed to quick release gun trigger safety devices are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,665; 5,033,218 and 5,371,965 to Nelson. All of these patents are directed to devices which require the trigger first to be pulled back against the trigger guard. This is a situation which normally, if the gun is cocked and loaded, causes a firing of the gun. The safety device (in the form of a plug) then goes in front of the trigger to prevent further operation of the firearm. The plugs of these patents are removed by pushing them out of the space between the trigger and the trigger guard. Even if such plugs are in place prior to the loading or unloading of the gun, the muzzle of the gun still is exposed; and if, for some reason, an accidental discharge should take place, a dangerous situation exists.
Many law enforcement agencies require officers to load and unload guns in a specified location, with the muzzle of the gun pointed toward a barrel of sand or the like. As a consequence, if an accidental discharge should take place during the loading or unloading of the gun, the bullet which is discharged should strike the barrel of sand and be stopped within a few inches; so that no harm is done. When firearms are loaded and unloaded in a law enforcement agency location in this manner, the sand barrel theoretically provides the desired level of safety. A possibility still exists, however, if an officer is distracted or somehow is jostled during the loading and unloading operation, the barrel of the handgun may not be pointed at the sand barrel. Thereby, in the event of an accidental discharge, the bullet may miss the sand. This creates a dangerous situation, even if the barrel is not pointed directly at a bystander, since ricocheting of the bullet or splintering of the bullet could create a dangerous situation for both personnel and the surroundings.
It is desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive device to absolutely guarantee safety during loading and unloading of a weapon in the event of an accidental discharge.